BeautyBeast
by tommigoesfroging
Summary: What if Belle wasn't just the beauty in the story but also the Beast? Of course there are Neo-Death Eaters but they live in far flung places never venturing into the wider world. But when that world crashes into Hogwarts and the lives of the children of the Order, the carefully constructed world they know is threatened. Heads will roll that much is certain
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**

**This has been floating around in my head for an age and I have finally decided that the only way to get rid of it is too write it down. So here we are. I hope you enjoy**

**Chapter 1**

**_I like trains. I like their rhythm, and I like the freedom of being suspended between two places, all anxieties of purpose taken care of: for this moment I know where I am going. _**

**_- _**** Anna Funder**

She tugged at her left sleeve; subconsciously attempting to make sure her wrist was well covered. The platform was full of people, children screaming at friends, parents fussing over bags and hair. Taking the scene in, she blinked purposely, once, before taking a step and swinging herself up onto the train.

She walked passed the first few compartments until she came to one that was empty. Putting her bag on the overhead shelf she flopped onto the seat next to the window and closed her eyes letting her other senses take in the scene around her. The feel of the brushed cushion on the seat, the smell of fuel, sweets and a faint muskiness, the hum of conversation that slowly got closer to her compartment then ebbed away again.

The door slid open but she kept her eyes closed, breathing steadily- in through her nose and out through her mouth, slow and steady, in and out.

"Um do you mind if we..." It was a male voice, a hint of an accent on the vowels but it was warm, like he didn't want to intrude if it wasn't wanted. She just turned her head then leant it against the side of the compartment.

More voices filled the compartment, "4, no 5" she thought catching parts of the conversation.

"Yes" a female voice

"Well" another girl

"But don't they..." Back to the boy who had spoken first

"..Isn't it..." A second male voice.

"Can't believe"

"Oh look..."

The whistle of the train drowned out the talking and the train lurched forward. Soon it had settled into a steady rhythm. The talking buzz fell into time with the jolts and pattern of the wheels. She opened her lungs deeply before settling back down. Feeling the sleepy haze encroach onto her mind she moved her left leg ever so slightly, flexing the toes, pulled her arms further into herself as she let the train rock her to sleep.

"Oh Shit! Sorry" both the voice and something hitting her foot jolted her out of her slumber. Pushing herself up she looked at her foot pulling it from under the box that had landed with a thump onto her foot. Moving her toes and rotating her ankle she looked at her fellow passengers. They were all starring at her. Her eyes flickered over them all. The closest to her was a girl, whose curly brown hair was piled onto the top of her head a few curls escaping to frame her face. The girls eyes seemed to scan over her, her lips pierced but not overtly harshly. It was this girl who spoke first "I'm really sorry, is your foot okay?"

She just nodded, not wanting to use her voice. Her lack of verbal response seemed to unnerve the curly haired girl but yet she carried on regardless "Are you new? Be sure I don't think I have seen before" the girl paused, not long enough to wait for a response but long enough to gauge a reaction. She made a point to not give one so the girl just continued opening her mouth ever so slightly. "I'm Rosie by the way" the curly haired girl, Rosie, finished with a smile.

She moved her bottom further into the seat so she was sitting more upright. Taking a deep breath and pulling her neck straight up and looked the girl straight in the eyes "Belle" Her response seemed to alleviate some of the built up tension in the compartment.

"So you are new" the boy whose voice matched the one that had first talked when they had entered the compartment spoke, it was a question but said more as a statement. His mouth sat slightly lopsided at a grin, his black hair flopped partly onto his eyes, his legs were flung onto the seat opposite.

"Yes" Belle answered

The others waited for the rest of Belle's response; she sighed and said more "Yes I am, new, new to Hogwarts, new to the country."

That was probably too much information, Belle thought but information like that was bound to get out so it didn't matter in the long run.

"Oh how exciting" the blonde haired girl next to her exclaimed nearly bouncing in her seat, "Beauxbatons or Durmstrang?" She asked.

Belle got to slightly open her mouth before the girl continued, "I'm Delia" She pointed to the floppy haired black boy "that's Al and this" she jestered to the tall boy sat next to her "is John" she took a quick breath, "so what one?" She asked going back to the original question.

"Neither" Belle answered shrugging, "never been to school"

If they were shocked by the statement they covered it up very well. "Really?" Rosie, the curly haired one asked

"Really." She paused not sure if she should go on, "it was never..." She faltered and took a breath "never any point" Belle tailed off.

"Well that doesn't matter" the bouncy one, Delia, said, " What year you in?"

"6"

"Oh excellent them you can be our friend"

Belle lifted her eyebrow at this.

The tall one, John, laughed "Easy Lia, You'll scare her" he then leaned forward so Belle could see him, "what the twit was trying to say was that we are all 6th year Gryffindors and if you want a friendly face then we are your people" he smiled gently at Belle, "what house do you want to be in?"

"John" Rosie piped in "Belle here might not know what houses there are." She turned back to Belle, "do you?"

Belle just shrugged, "Um well Slytherin and you said Gryffindor."

Rosie smiled, "that are two more, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw"

Belle just nodded in response then turned to stare out of the window watching as the train hurled through the green countryside. Silence fell in the compartment; Rosie interrupted Belle's thoughts "are you looking forward to going to a school?"

Belle turned slowly away from the window and her thoughts; taking a deep breath she tried to gather her thoughts to answer the question. The truth was too complex for even Belle herself to begin to comprehend and she couldn't even begin to try and articulate it. "Yes and no." She settled on allowing a gentle smile to creep onto her face.

"That makes sense" Delia replied comfortingly

Just as the cabin settled once more into silence and before the group of friends could continue to chatter the door slid open with some force hitting against the side panel.

"Allo, Allo, young people" the tall boy at the door sung as he surveyed the compartment.

"Jamie" Al responded, shaking his head but smiling still

"Brothers," Belle thought, her eyes flickering from the two very similar looking boys

"Just came to check on you all, make sure you aren't blowing up bathrooms" this Jamie boy continued, smirking with a pointed look at Rosie.

"I told you it was a mistake. Think I measured wrong" Rosie responded huffing slightly.

"Hey hey" Jamie said holding up his hands in mock surrender, "not my bathroom", he surveyed the room his eye settling on Belle. "And who is this?" He asked smirking still

"Jamie, Belle, Belle my big bad older brother James Potter" Al introduced them.

"Charmed" Jamie said but Belle basically didn't hear him, her brain just repeated "Potter, Potter, Potter"

"Potter?" She said quietly, slowly. The sounds considered on her tongue.

"Yep" said James, "James and Albus Potter, sons of the chosen one, the great Potter, blah blah blah, we have a little sister as well you know" but his words died as Belle quickly rose and pushed past James at the door muttering about going to the loo. She was half way down the corridor nearly before she heard.

"Well I have never got that reaction before" followed by the ever quieting sound of laughter as she hurried further and further away.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_**But Sasha was from Russia, where the sunsets are longer, the dawns less sudden and sentences are often left unfinished from doubt as how to best end them.**_

_**- Virginia Woolf**_

Belle only emerged out of the loo when she felt the train coming to a stop; by the time she made it back to the compartment it was empty. Quickly grabbing her bag, she headed for the door and jumped off the train, landing firming onto the platform.

She surveyed the station watching the buzz of people walking about. Older ones seemed to walk to where they needed to go without thinking or even noticing. The very small ones were congregating around a man with a very large bright blue hat on. Figuring it was as good a person as anyone, Belle slugged her way over to him.

"Umm, excuse me" she asked standing very close.

The large hat man looked down at her and all of the little nervous looking children surrounding him looked up at her, "Ja?"

"I'm new," Belle began, "and well, what am I meant to do?"

"Vell, I expect you come vith me" the hat man responded smiling, the lightness of his German accent coming though. She fell into the swam of what she thought must be first years.

"Why aren't you in your uniform?" The little boy with mousy brown hair and an enormous nose who was standing next to her asked.

Belle looked at the large nosed boy and then down at herself, "Oh" she thought, looking at her legs still encased in jeans, "Guess I forgot," she put a smile on her face then turned back to the boy, "and who are you then?"

"Right are we all here?" A reasonably tall, brown haired professor came walking down the stairs, cloak flowing behind him. All the new first years quickly gather around the man, who was carrying a roll of parchment in one hand and a hat in the other, "Well, I'm Professor Longbottom, Herbology Teacher and head of Gryffindor. Welcome to Hogwarts…" The professor continued to do his welcoming speech. Belle very slowly made her way to the back of the crowd going behind a wall. Quickly she dropped to her knees rummaging through her bag trying to put her hands on her cloak.

"Does Miss need any help?" A small voice next to her asked helpfully. Belle jumped and looked to her side, to find a very young looking house elf standing there.

"Just trying to find my cloak, I forgot to get changed on the train" Belle explained to the small house elf turning her head back to her bag, finally putting her hands on her cloak and pulling it out.

Standing up to put the cloak on over her jeans and t-shirt, feeling that it would have to do as her uniform was somewhere else in her luggage, "Shall I take your bag, Miss?" the little house elf asked, picking the bag up and holding it up.

"Oh," Belle said, quickly looking around the corner noting that it looked like the Professor was drawing to the end of his speech, "That would be great, Spasi..Thank you" The house elf nodded before disappearing into thin air. Belle, let out a short breath and turned to rejoin the little first years.

Moving along the edge of the crowd till she was standing at the front of the crowd but at the edge still, she waited for the Professor to finish his speech. She didn't have to wait long till he did. Then biting her lip, she waited till he was looking at the parchment in his hand, when she slowly walked up the couple of steps to stand just to the Professor's side.

"Sorry Professor Longbottom?" Belle asked quietly.

"Yes, Miss..."

"Belle." She said wringing her hands; Professor Longbottom just looked down at her, "see that list you've got there." She pointed at the piece of parchment in his hands.

"Yes..." He said the words carefully his eyebrows going up in intrigue.

"Well um," Belle went up on her tippy toes and peered over the piece of parchment and pointed at one of the names on the list. "That's me" the Professor looked at her with shock on his face having obviously not previously looked down to that part of the list, "yeah" Belle said grimacing slightly , "I don't really use it" she finished looking up at him sheepishly.

"I guess that I can understand that."

"So do you mind not saying it?"

Professor Longbottom just stared at her for a few moments, "Belle you said?" He eventually said, smiling at her.

"Thank you, Sir." Relief coating from her words and she smiled properly up at him.

Walking into the hall most of the first years looked up at the ceiling, ohhing and ahhing at the sight. Others looked out for their siblings sitting at various tables but Belle kept her eyes dead set on the front, not moving her gaze from the old raggedy hat sat upon a wooden stool. When the crowd stopped, Belle zoned out, repeating the Nicene Creed over and over again, forgetting where she was.

"Belle" Professor Longbottom called. The call broke her repetition of the creed. Blinking firmly, she moved herself through the group of first years and went to sit in the chair, keeping her eyes downcast not wanting to look at the people starring at her.

"Well hello, where shall we put you?"

Belle just tried to keep her thoughts blanks, "intriguing, it seems like a Slytherin we have here" there was a pause, "however there is something else" again a pause "fancy being different do we?"

Belle couldn't help but think, "Please."

"Maybe... No..." The hat paused again, before speaking out loud "GRYFFINDOR"

Belle looked up at the table that was clapping and cheering, finding herself searching for the group she shared the train journey with. Removing the hat from her head she quickly made her way to the Gryffindor table, bypassing the space at the front set for the new first years she walked to where the 4 compartment companions were sat. Rosie hit the person next to her "Budge up" then moved up herself, patting the space on the bench next to her, letting Belle sit down.

"Guess you are stuck with us then" John smiled at her.

Belle couldn't help but smile at him.

Once the food appeared covering most of the long table, Rosie turned to her and said, "What NEWTS are you doing then? Did you even do OWLs?"

Swallowing her bread, "No, no OWLs but they tested me and things so..."

"Oh, so what are you doing?" Rosie continued.

"Defence against the Dark Arts, Potions, Charms, Ancient Runes and Herbology" Belle paused, "McGonagall is letting me do Muggle Studies as well though."

"Six?" Albus spluttered.

Belle could feel herself getting redder, "Yeah, well the Muggle studies one is more ummm, more for me." She spluttered to explain.

Albus studied her slowly before shrugging and turning back to his plate.

Coming down the stairs, Belle stopped at the bottom looking down at the common room. The room was being emptied of the younger years that were excitingly making their way passed her and up the stairs. She had been instructed by Rosie and Albus after the meal that she should follow John and Delia up to the common room and get changed out of her uniform and meet them all down by the fire in the common room.

When she had entered her new bedroom, it had been empty. Finding her luggage and the bag she had left with the house elf, sat on the bed in the left hand corner of the room she had begun to unpack her things. The clothes were easy but when it came to opening her little box of knick knacks she paused.

Belle didn't really know what to do with them all. Really she didn't even know why she had bought most of them. She buried the photos deep at the bottom of her trunk with a concealment charm on them. She thumbed the little silver box carefully deciding to place it on her bedside table. She stared at the other little trinkets she had brought, not really wanting to go through them all, she just placed them all in the bottom of the trunk with the hidden photos. As she placed the bag in the trunk, the wooden bear at the top caught her eye. Smiling gently she picked it out, closed the trunk and put the little wooden bear next to the silver box. She also uncurled the shrunken blanket she had packed, the multi-coloured, embroidered blanket didn't really match the rest of the room or the school issued bedding but her bed looked more like hers with it on. It was probably the only bit of her old room that she couldn't have imagined leaving behind. Staring down at her bed, she sighed before pulling her cloak off.

"Belle, come sit" John beckoned her over to the fire where he was flopped on along with the others.

Sitting down on the settee next to him, she spotted the stack of glasses and bottle of firewhiskey on the table.

"Are we drinking then?" Belle asked, smiling at them.

"Ah, a woman after my own heart" the voice from the door came from James Potter as he sauntered in along with a few others.

Belle looked up at him, watching as he flopped, if slightly arrogantly, onto a seat nearest the fire, "No asking about anyone else, just straight to the booze, I like it" He smiled at her. "Crack it open, Allie" He turned and instructed Albus.

Albus glared at him but did open the bottle and began to divvy it up.

"So are you the one who ran off?" the tall ginger who had entered with James, said to Belle as he leaned to pick up a glass.

Belle could feel her face quickly turning beetroot red and smiled nervously.

"Fred" Rosie chastised, "excuse our cousin Belle, He's just an idiot" She smiled gently at Belle before sending daggers at this Fred boy.

"Fine, fine," Fred put one of his hands up in surrender before smirking at Belle, "I'm Fred obviously, do you have a name?"

"Belle" she said quickly, before downing the whole glass of Firewhiskey that had somehow ended up in her hand.

"Easy." James told her, watching her as she downed the drink not making any indication that she had actually drunk anything.

Belle, shock her shoulders, before sitting back into the settee and looking straight at him, "I'm Russian."

Albus laughed, Delia tried to stop herself from joining him. "Where is your accent then?" She asked, tilting her head looking at Belle.

"Only when I speak Russian" Belle told them, filling her glass up again.

"So what are you?" John asked.

"What?" Belle looked at him, puzzled by the question.

John shrugged, "you know, Pureblood, half, muggle…" he trailed off looking at her.

It certainly wasn't the question she was expecting, and she could feel herself beginning to seize up. She must have been staring at him for longer than she thought because her gaze was broken by Delia saying "Merlin, John. What are you a Slytherin?" the joke seemed to work because John looked a bit sheepish.

"Sorry" he said to Belle.

Belle shrugged, realising that it was just an innocent question, "Pureblood."

They nodded as she took another drink.

The conversation soon went in another direction and Belle settled back to just listen to them discussing people and quidditch, as it seemed that James was the new captain.

Very suddenly though after a good bit of time had gone by, James turned to Belle and asked, "Can I ask a question?"

She just nodded, slightly intrigued as to what he wanted to ask that warranted him asking if he could.

"Why didn't they call a surname for you? You must have one."

Belle looked at him, and paused. He was looking at her gently. She sighed and bit her lip, "I do have one" she began, "but I don't like it, it isn't me" she settled on saying.

James just continued to stare at her before nodding so slightly that it was hard to truly spot.

The conversation went back to the quidditch and gossip but Belle could spot James keeping one eye on her still.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_**I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in the light**_

_**Helen Keller**_

"You're up early" Albus' voice made Belle look up from her book and breakfast.

Smiling, "So are you" she replied.

He took up the place opposite her, pouring himself some tea and grabbing some toast, "any particular reason?"

Belle took a forkful of eggs from her plate, "been for a morning run" she explained.

Albus looked at her, "do you go every morning or was it just a one off?"

"Every morning since I was 13," she told him. This stuff was easy, the slight inane chatter about something that wasn't really personal but seemed like it was, "helps me clear my head."

Albus looked at her, "that I get, well if you ever fancy a running partner..." He tailed off.

Belle smiled at him, "I might take you up on that sometime"

Their breakfast was interrupted by Professor Longbottom walking up them, "Timetables" he told them putting their timetable in front of them, "settling in Miss Belle?" He asked nicely.

"I think so" she told him, he seemed really nice, mainly because he went along with her wanting to keep her name a secret, anyone who was willing to do that and didn't ask questions probably was the alright sort.

He smiled, "and is Al here looking after you?"

Belle opened her mouth to respond but before she could Al did it for her, "of course Nev, always" He said jokingly.

"Albus" the Professor scolded but he had a slight smile on his lips as he said it.

"What?" Albus said feigning innocence, "no one is around."

The Professor just looked at Albus who was the picture of innocence. He shook his head and rolled his eyes, before telling Belle he would see her in class and then wandering off to hand out more timetables.

Belle turned to Albus, "Nev?" She asked, trying to contain her laughter that was threatening to come out.

Albus raised his eyebrows and took a gulp of tea, "our parents are friends" he explained, taking a bite of toast, "so, what is your timetable like?" He asked as they began to compare.

She had ended up asking a stray Hufflepuff where the DADA classroom was after her Muggle Studies lesson. He had begun to tell her where it was but after her face just got more and more confused, he had tapped her shoulder comfortingly and said, "Scratch that, I'll take you". Belle basically hadn't talked the entire time as he led her though the corridors and stairs. The Hufflepuff just talked and talked. He suddenly stopped outside of a room, "here we are. Well I'll be going. See you tomorrow Belle" before walking back the way they had come.

She just stood there by the door for a moment. It was closed and there was no sound coming from it but she wasn't that early. She looked around hoping to spot someone else. It didn't take too long before a voice behind her said, "Hey, you waiting for us?"

Pivoting on her heels she turned to see Albus and Rosie walking towards her.

"Someone just dropped me off from Muggle Studies" she explained as Albus pushed open the door holding it open for Rosie and herself. The room was empty. A wall of books covered the left hand side, the desks all bare. She followed them to four seater desk, two rows from the back.

"Any good?" Albus asked as they sat down

"Yes," she answered as the door swung open again and more people entered the classroom. Two nodded in greeting at Albus before he turned his attention back to her, "it was," she paused unsure whether she should let her enthusiasm show, "actually it was fascinating" she settled on.

Rosie giggled gently, "You should meet Grampa Weasley," she told her, "He finds it all fascinating as well" adding extra emphasis on the "fascinating"

Soon students stopped coming into the room and it wasn't very long till a short, relatively chubby man entered. His greying hair flopped around his eyes as he spun in front of his desk before leaning against it. Surveying the assembled class, his blue eyes jumped from each student in turn, "Welcome to NEWT Defence Against the Dark Arts. We won't bother with introductions I know you and you know me." During this his eyes fell on Belle, "except you I don't know you."

She swallowed hard, "Belle, Sir"

"Ahh, Yes. The headmaster did tell me. Well welcome to our little cohort, I'm Professor Gould. I hope you will be very happy" he greeted her kindly before turning his eyes back to the class as a whole. "Right shall we begin with a little practical?" He asks gleefully clapping his hands together, "desks back and on your feet, 6th years"

All too quickly his desires to the arrangement of the classroom were met and they all stood roughly in the same places that their seats had been.

"As I hope you have all bought, 'Confronting the Faceless', for your NEWTS, I thought we should start with attempting a little Patronus spell, to get us in the mood for our studies"

"Little?" Rosie whispered in her ear, incredulously. Belle just sent her a small look as they all stood there waiting.

"Let us first practice our pronunciation, because..." He elongated the pause searching around the room, "Ms Weasley?"

"Because one must pronounce correctly to spell correctly." She repeated in such a way that Belle guested that it was something that Professor Gould had been telling them every year.

"Correct, Ms Weasley, a point to Gryffindor I think." He rubbed his hands. "Right. So repeat after me. Expecto Patronum."

The class repeated it back, "excellent, and again"

They stood in the room, all just repeating, "Expecto Patronum" a few more times.

"The trick to this particular spell is a memory. Not just any memory but a happy one. The happiest memory you have. Not of course a memory where you believe you should have been happy but one where you were truly absolutely happy." He paused, "wands up, and go!"

The room was full of shouts, wand pointing. For a while nothing happened. A few had whispery silvery strands shot out of their wands but that was it. After a while most of the class looked downcast and the lack of success.

"Well, well, no worries. It is rather tricky magic." he smacked his hands together, "most of you will never be able to conjure one anyway" The small groups of students looked at each other.

"But Sir, What was the point then?" a lad in the back asked.

"Mr Smith. The point is that I expect 4 foot of essay on the spell on my desk by Thursday from you all."

The class groaned, "now come come this is NEWTS what did you expect?" he paused, "let us practice again shall we?"

This time the Professor circulated though the groups of students, giving tips and comments. Eventually he made his way to Albus, Rosie and Belle.

"Very nice Ms Weasley, try to be more firm on the wand movement." he turned to look at Belle who for the whole lesson had just been standing watching Albus and Rosie.

"Perhaps you could join in Ms Belle?" he asked inclining his head.

"I'd rather not, if that is okay?" she told him, not breaking his eye contact.

The Professor looked shocked, his lips moving slightly, trying to find the words

"Umm, Professor." Albus' voice pulled the professor around to him, "EXPECTO PATRONUM" suddenly a fully formed silvery Pig was standing around them. The class all stopped and stared at the pig who waddled around them

"Excellent, Mr Potter. Just excellent!" Professor Gould exclaimed, almost jumping off the ground in excitement, "of course not surprising" he muttered under his breath, "50 points to Gryffindor." He looked slightly at odds with himself, "You may go." as bags and books were picked up, "don't forget the essay!"

Walking out of the classroom, Albus turned to Belle, "you owe me" he said smiling.

"Thanks."

He just shrugged, "no worries, Gould is a bit of a name whore, he loves stuff like that."

"Please you just like to show off" Rosie chimed in as they turned the corner heading towards, Belle guessed, the great hall for lunch.

"What, moi?" Albus looked faux-insulted raising a hand to his chest like he had been wounded, "I think you have me confused with Jamie" he added staying in character. Rosie just sent him a withering look before rolling her eyes at Belle who couldn't help but giggle slightly.

As they continued walking, a skinny boy walked past them, knocking Belle's shoulder.

"Watch it" she said when they didn't stop.

The boy turned around, his white blond hair slicked back, his small lips set in a firm line. His eyes just stared at her. A few seconds later though they went wider and confusion coloured his face, his forehead crinkling. "Not going to say Sorry Malfoy?" Rosie's question meant they both looked at her.

"Oh..." Malfoy coughed, "um" he paused, a hand pushing his hair further back, "yeah, well Sorry…" he trailed off, still staring at Belle.

She could feel colour rising in her face, "It's fine" she said sharply. Pulling her eyes away from him, "Lets go" her voice still sharp, she began to walk off, knowing that Rosie and Albus trailed behind her.


End file.
